Flying-machine



B. BENDER.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED mm. 11, :920.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.v

2 SHEETS-SHEET' I.

INVEN TOR.

A TT ORNE Y.

. BENDER.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLlcAloN FILED MAR. 17, 1920.

1,359,566. Patented Nov. 23,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

U ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERLIN BENDER, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Application med Haren 17, 1920. serial no. 366,534.

T o all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I; BERLIN BENDER, accitizenof the United States ofAmerica, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to combined traction and steering means forairplanes.

Heretofpre considerable diliculty has been experienced by aviators ingetting their airplanes into and out of the hangar, it being necessaryto employ as many as five men for this work. Furthermore it notvinfrequently happens that thi's number of assistants is not availableand consequently the aviator is unable to take a flight or get hismachine back into the hangar as the case may be.

The purpose of the present invention is to obviate the diiliculties justmentioned by mounting a. combined steering and traction wheel upon therudder post or other part of the airplane whereby the pilot can controlthe direction of travel when the airplane is on the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide means forl propelling theairplane on the ground when the propeller is idling.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part describedand in part obvious as the specification is proceed` ed with. v

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification: I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an airplane equipped with my improvedtaxing and steering device; I

Fig. 2 is a detail in side elevation, having parts broken away and shownin section, of the improved device;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same taken at right angles to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary disassembled view of the type of compound jointemployed;

Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the locking sleeve;

Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the pivot connection of the wheelpost;

Fig. 7 is a vertical' section through the compound joint, with the wheelpost in its inoperative position;

'.Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and

taken on the line description of these parts is deemed unnecessary.

12 represents my improved traction and steering wheel having .the axle11 upon which one leg 17l of the wheel post 8 is supported. The uppertubular end 9 of this post 8 is formed with an apertured tongueloadapted to be pivotally mounted between the bifurcations 13 of asleeve 14 as by means of pin or the like 15. The reduced lower end ofthe rudder post 7 which is formed with bifurcations 18, similar to thebifurcations 13 of the sleeve 14, fits within the upper end of thelatter and is locked therein against relative vertical movement by meansof a screw or pin 15 extending from the sleeve into a circumferentialgroove 16 formed in the'rudder post. The purpose of this form ofcon.-nection between the wheel 12 and the rudder post is to lpermit of freerotation of the rudder post independently of the wheel post when thewheel 12 is swung to inoperative or dotted line position illustrated inFig. 1, and also shown in a fragmentar way in Fig. 4, as will be morefully descr1bed hereinafter.

When the traction and steering wheel 12 is in operative position asshown in Figs. 2and 3 and in full lines Fig. 1, the rudder post 5 andwheel post 8 are keyed together for simultaneous rotation due to theengagement of the tongue 10 between the bifurcations 18. A sleeve 30 onthe rudder post is normally forced downwardly over the joint by a, coilspring 31 thus locking the wheel 12 in operative orextended position.

The wheel 12 may be swung to inoperative or dotted line position Fig. 1,by means of' a cable 28 attached at one end to the leg 17 of wheel post8 and at its other end to a hand lever 29. The lever 29 may be locked inits forward position to a segment 30, in any suitthe sleeve 30 must rstbe raised to Fig. 4 position. This is accomplished by means of a cableor the like 31 attached at one end to the sleeve 30 and at its other endto a hand lever 32 adapted to be locked in adjusted position to thesegment 33 in any desired manner (not shown). A cable 43 connected atone end to the leg 17 of the wheel post and passing over lan arm 44 onthe latter is conl nected at its opposite end to the hand lever 45.Forward movement of the lever pulls the wheel 12 to vertical oroperative'position, whereupon the sleeve 30 will automatically drop overthe joint between the Wheel post and the rudder post.

The wheel 12 is driven from the engine 3 `by a flexible shaft 20, oneend of which passes through a bearing formed in the leg 41 of the wheelpost 8. This end of the iexible shaft 2O has fined thereto a bevel gear21 in mesh with a bevel gear 22 on the axle 11, saidgears being suitablyinclosed within a housing 42. The opposite end of 'the flexible shaftpasses through a bearing 27 and has a friction disk 23 fixed theretoadapted to engage a friction disk 24 on the engine shaft 25. Anysuitable means (not shown) may be employed for varying the pressure withwhich the disk 23 en ages the disk 24 o r for shifting the point oengagement of the former on the latter for the purpose of regulating thespeed at which the flexible shaft is driven.

When in flight the wheel 12 will be kept i length to permit of the wheelengaging the ground when the latter is swung to operative position afterlanding.

In operation the aviator steers the airplane into or out of the hangarby actuating the rudder 6 in the usual manner by pulling l on rudderstrings 47 leading to a foot control (not shown).

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with the rudder of an airplane, a taxing and surfacesteering device connected thereto, movable when in operative positionwith said rudder, but allowing independent movement of such rudder whenin an inoperative position.

2. .In combination with the rudder post of an airplane, propelling meanshingedly connected thereto and movable collectively with said post whenin one position, but allowing of independent movement of the post whenin its other position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BERLIN BENDER.

